Wash Away Your Fears
by anmah
Summary: Brooklyn does not know how to swim. Hiro decides to teach him. New things are discovered, concerning the gifted beyblader's past. HxB


**Disclaimer**: Do **NOT **own Beyblade

**Pairing**: HiroxBrooklyn

**Prologue**: Brooklyn does not know how to swim. Hiro decides to teach him. New things are discovered, concerning the gifted beyblader's past.

**Spread the HiroxBrooklyn love! **

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Brooklyn was exceptional at many things. Beyblading, for one. Other than that, there was the piano, other sports such as cricket and tennis, continued excellence in academics, and let no one forget about his keen fashion sense. His regular white coat was _only _designer original. 

However, when it was found out that Brooklyn – acclaimed genius – did **not **know how to swim. Hiro Granger took it upon himself, as the orange haired boy's former-coach, to teach him.

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"No." 

"Brooklyn, get in the water."

"No."

Hiro's lips pursed. It was seldom that Brooklyn ever said no to Hiro – and it was seldom that Hiro ever took no for an answer.

"Brooklyn, get in the water. Now." Hiro's tone left no room for arguments.

However, surprisingly, Brooklyn remained near one of the outer edges of the pool, still very much dry. The younger of the two had his arms crossed resolutely across his bare chest, "No." he repeated.

Hiro rose an eye brow. Brooklyn resisted the urge to blush at how the rare expression matched his coach's slender, muscular body with its six abed stomach and light tan so well. Instead, he continued standing outside of the pool in his white swim trunks, red lines going down the sides of his upper thigh due to the design of said swim wear. Hiro himself adorned simple blue trunks, probably soaked through and through since the man had been standing in the water for five minutes, urging his former-student to get in the damned pool...!

Hiro made his way forward, the water making loud _slosh_ingsounds as he walked towards Brooklyn. Said boy inched away little by little, afraid of whatever the blue haired man may try to pull. But instead, Hiro simply leaned against the side of the pool, crossing his arms and resting his elbows atop the dry surface while his lower half remained in the pool water. Chocolate brown eyes gazed up at Brooklyn coolly.

"… Brooklyn, why won't you come into the water?" asked his coach calmly.

Brooklyn wrinkled his nose and looked away, "None of your business."

"Are you afraid?"

Cerulean eyes snapped wide open and Brooklyn wiped his head back, "Of course not! I am not afraid! How ridiculous!" he cried, voice echoing slightly in the once quiet pool room.

"Then…Why?"

Brooklyn looked taken aback. Averting his head to the side again, he replied haughtily, "No reason. I just think there's no point in me having to learn this. It's a waste of time. Now, if you'll excuse me Hiro-"

"You can't."

"Huh?" Brooklyn looked back at the elder male, surprised by the interruption.

"It's not because you think it's stupid. You just can't do it." Hiro stated.

Color rushed to Brooklyn's cheeks as he glared, fists clenching at his sides, "What! Of course not! How dare you say that!"

Hiro locked eyes with the boy, stopping whatever words that were about to fly out of his mouth next, "Then, care to prove me wrong?" another raise of the eye brow.

Brooklyn flushed and looked away, "That won't work on me Hiro, not this time, " Brooklyn turned on his heel, "I'm going."

However, just as Brooklyn was taking a step forward, Hiro grabbed onto his other foot and pulled - hard. Brooklyn reeled backward, arms flailing. Hiro's hand grabbed the teen's slender waist and pushed him further back, causing him to land upside down in the water.

Brooklyn sputtered and gasped, arms flying, desperate for an escape route. Hiro dove down and pulled the boy up. Brooklyn shook his head wildly and pushed himself away from the man violently. He glared, "What the hell Hiro?! I could've bloody died you moron!"

"But you didn't. I had to get you into the water Brooklyn." Hiro replied calmly, hands resting on his hips.

Brooklyn almost blushed at the thought of those same hands having been around his waist mere seconds ago, but rage was overtaking his mind at the moment, "Don't you ever do that again Hiro!" Brooklyn stared at the water and a cold shiver ran down his spine, "I'm getting out of here..."

Hiro blocked the other's way out, "No. You're not. I said I'm going to teach you how to swim and I intend to do just that."

"Hiro! For the last time-"

"Brooklyn...!" Hiro's tone made his heart stop, the elder was staring at him fiercely, "You have to learn. You can't have such a fear."

"I don't have a fear! I'm not scared! I'm just-" Brooklyn cut himself of as another shiver ran up his spine, he felt goose bumps beginning to appear upon his pale skin; the teen wrapped his arms around his upper body, "D-Damn. I have to get out of here."

Hiro's eye brows knitted together in concern, "Brooklyn, are you alright?" he reached out a hand.

Brooklyn moved away rapidly, "I-I'm fine. I-Its just that the water's t-too cold...I-I just have to get out of here."

Hiro did not look convinced. _The water isn't that cold at all..._He thought_...Its cool in temperature, his body should get used to it..._But Brooklyn was growing paler right before his eyes. His body was bursting into violent shivers as goose bumps sprouted out every where.

"Brooklyn, come on." slowly, Hiro took hold of Brooklyn's upper arms and led the boy to one of the sides of the pool.

Brooklyn shrunk against him, his slender frame quivering. His pupils had dilated and he seemed to be bursting into small droplets of sweat. His teeth chattered.

They reached a side of the pool, but Brooklyn seemed too weak and dazed to be able to lift himself out, so Hiro lifted him up onto dry ground himself. Brooklyn pulled his legs out and remained shivering atop the floor, his arms still crossed over his chest while his hands grasped his upper arms tightly. He seemed to be staring of into space.

Hiro got out of the water and walked over to Brooklyn, "Brooklyn, are you alright? Should I call a doctor? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you. If I had known-"

"M-Mother..." Hiro's eyes widened at the word.

"Mother..." Brooklyn repeated, rocking forward and back gently.

"Brooklyn...?" the blue haired man reached out a hand, concern overtaking his mind faster and faster; what if this was all his fault? What had happened to Brooklyn? All of a sudden, this confident, intelligent teenager had transformed into a shaking mess right in front of his eyes...!

"Mother..." Brooklyn whispered, tears beginning to appear at the corners of his cerulean orbs...One rolled down his cheek.

Instinctively, Hiro reached forward and whipped the tear away, "Brooklyn...? What's wrong? What about your mother?" Hiro moved closer, bending his head down in an effort to get a better look at the younger one's face.

Brooklyn looked up slightly, his eyes glimmered with emotion, "Mother...In the water...She...She..." his voice became choked and he looked close to bursting into sobs.

"Brooklyn!" Hiro gently took hold of the other's shoulders, "Don't cry, please don't cry. Go on, tell me. What about your mother? What happened to her, in the water?" _Could she have...?_

"She...She drowned," Brooklyn replied, tears cascading down as his cheeks took on a rich red flush, "they let her drown. They let my mother drown!" he flung himself into Hiro's arms, sobbing violently.

Hiro wrapped his arms around the younger one, holding on firmly as Brooklyn cried into his shoulder, "Who, Brooklyn? Who let her drown?" _Its best if he gets this of his chest...Tell me, Brooklyn, tell me everything..._

"They-They let her drown...They just watched her die. They knew she didn't know how to swim! The water was really deep, and-and-they let her drown!" Brooklyn sobbed, feeling Hiro's warm body near his own, it calmed him slightly.

"They were after my father's fortune...He loved her! And after her death, which they lied about-! He lost all hope...All faith..." Brooklyn moved away slightly so that the two could look each other in the eye, his own eyes were red and puffy, "He gave up. They succeeded in breaking his spirit...He let them take over his fortune...The council members of his company...And eventually, he himself became ill...And died." Brooklyn half whispered and half whimpered the last two words.

Hiro gazed down at the boy woefully, "I'm sorry, Brooklyn."

Brooklyn moved closer and rested his head on Hiro's chest, arms encircling the blue headed man, "I watched her die...My mom," Hiro's eyes widened, "I was there. Her and I were on a drive, and we were stopped by two of the council members and some men...They took us to a quiet place with a lake...And drowned her there. I watched her. I screamed and shouted. One of the men held onto me, so I couldn't get away, but I tried and tried...Screaming...Crying..._Mama...! ...Mama...!_" Brooklyn cried softly, "I wasn't strong enough to save my mama..."

Hiro closed his eyes and tightened his hold, "It wasn't your fault, Brooklyn."

"Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't," Hiro pulled away and held Brooklyn out in front of him, they made striking eye contact, "it was those mens' faults. You loved your mother, and I'm sure she knew that. Seeing how much you love her, I'm sure that she knew. You tried your hardest, but I'm sure your mother - as well as your father - are in a better place now. Don't blame yourself, it will only make them sad."

Brooklyn stared into Hiro's eyes, then nodded softly, albeit still looking sad. He rested his head the other's strong shoulder. Hiro let him. The two sat there, staring at the calmness of the pool water for a few minutes before Hiro finally spoke again, "Were they caught?"

"Yes. The police eventually found out. They're all in prison for life without possibility of parole."

"And your father's company?"

"They ran it into the ground. Those council members didn't know jack about running a company. My dad had been the brains of it all...I was sent to live with other relatives I barely knew..."

"And you decided to become a blader?"

"It interested me enough."

"I see. So...When you get into the water, you see your mother's death?"

Brooklyn nodded slightly, "Mmhm."

"I see." Hiro repeated, a moment of silence passed between them again.

"You don't have to learn to swim if you don't want to."

"No."

Hiro, surprised, looked down at Brooklyn. Brooklyn continued staring ahead at the water, "I've decided that I do want to learn how to swim," he raised his head from Hiro's shoulder, "it'll give me a chance to move on. Of course...," he looked back at Hiro, "if you don't mind teaching me."

Hiro smiled, "Of course."

**The End **

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Well, there we go. I was planning a kiss or something in this but it just didn't seem suitable at the end, so I decided to leave it at that. I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review! 

**Spread the HiroxBrooklyn love!**


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